Life-history trade-offs, seasonal time constraints, and the optimization of body size

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My research program aims to understand how life histories are influenced by the environment, and to apply this understanding to the conservation of exploited populations and species at risk. Life-history traits have a direct and context-specific effect on fitness, and understanding the trade-offs and ecological context under which life-histories have evolved is central to understanding local adaptation, demographic rates, and extinction risk. Body size is central to many models of life-history evolution, yet there is no consensus on how body size is optimized. In order to understand life-history evolution more broadly and apply this knowledge effectively to conservation and management, we need to understand how size is optimized across ontogeny.